First Impressions

We’ve only been here for less than a week, but in that time we’ve driven almost the whole length of the country.  My impressions of the country so far?  Well, at least much as can be made from the front seat of a speeding vehicle…

* New Zealand is a large and absolutely gorgeous sheep farm. It seems that every flat part of the country is used to make hay for the sheep, and all the hills are used to graze huge flocks of sheep.

* Some of the roads here are straight out of a sports car commercial.  They twist and wind following mountains or the coast.  Huge waves from rough seas crash into black sand beaches just feet from the highway. The roads make me wish I was driving something more glamorous than an old 4 cylinder Nissan station wagon.

* The Kiwis are seriously devoted to classic cars.  We’ve passed more in a day than I have seen in an entire year in Toronto.  The drivers are usually dressed for the part too, wearing leather caps and red scarves for example.

* This country has great scenery at every turn.  If we stopped everytime I wanted to take a photo we’d never get to where we were going. 

When we make our way back north I’m sure we’ll have a more accurate and useful impression of the country.
But these are a few of the first things that have struck us about New Zealand.